Dumb Witness - Agatha Christie [47]
Charles seemed anxious not to meet his sister’s eye.
He spoke to her without looking at her.
“Surely you remember, old girl? I told you. Aunt Emily made a kind of ultimatum of it. Sat there like a judge in court. Made a kind of speech. Said she thoroughly disapproved of all her relations—that is to say, of me and Theresa. Bella, she allowed, she had nothing against, but on the other hand she disliked and distrusted her husband. Buy British was ever Aunt Emily’s motto. If Bella were to inherit any considerable sum of money she said she was convinced that Tanios would somehow or other get possession of it. Trust a Greek to do that! ‘She’s safer as she is,’ she went on to say. Then she said that neither I nor Theresa were fit people to be trusted with money. We would only gamble and squander it away. Therefore, she finished up, she had made a new will and had left the entire estate to Miss Lawson. ‘She is a fool,’ said Aunt Emily, ‘but she is a faithful soul. And I really believe she is devoted to me. She cannot help her lack of brains. I have thought it fairer to tell you this, Charles, as you may as well realize that it will not be possible for you to raise money on your expectations from me.’ Rather a nasty one, that. Just what I’d been trying to do.”
“Why didn’t you tell me, Charles?” demanded Theresa fiercely.
Poirot asked:
“And what did you say, Mr. Arundell?”
“I?” said Charles airily. “Oh, I just laughed. No good cutting up rough. That’s not the way. ‘Just as you please, Aunt Emily,’ I said. ‘Bit of a blow, perhaps, but after all, it’s your own money and you can do what you like with it.’”
“And your aunt’s reaction to that?”
“Oh, it went down well—very well indeed. She said, ‘Well, I will say you’re a sportsman, Charles.’ And I said, ‘Got to take the rough with the smooth. As a matter of fact, if I’ve no expectations what about giving me a tenner now?’ And she said I was an impudent boy and actually parted with a fiver.”
“You concealed your feelings very cleverly.”
“Well, as a matter of fact, I didn’t take it very seriously.”
“You didn’t?”
“No. I thought it was what you might call a gesture on the old bean’s part. She wanted to frighten us all. I’d a pretty shrewd suspicion that after a few weeks or perhaps months she’d tear that will up. She was pretty hot on family, Aunt Emily. And, as a matter of fact, I believe that’s what she would have done if she hadn’t died so confoundedly suddenly.”
“Ah!” said Poirot. “It is an interesting idea that.”
He remained silent for a minute or two then went on:
“Could anyone, Miss Lawson, for instance, have overheard your conversation?”
“Rather. We weren’t speaking any too low. As a matter of fact, the Lawson bird was hovering about outside the door when I went out. Been doing a bit of snooping in my opinion.”
Poirot turned a thoughtful glance on Theresa.
“And you knew nothing of this?”
Before she could answer, Charles broke in.
“Theresa, old girl, I’m sure I told you—or hinted to you?”
There was a queer sort of pause. Charles was looking fixedly at Theresa, and there was an anxiety, a fixity, about his gaze that seemed out of all proportion to the subject matter.
Theresa said slowly:
“If you had told me—I don’t think—I could have forgotten, do you, M. Poirot?”
Her long dark eyes turned to him.
Poirot said slowly:
“No, I don’t think you could have forgotten, Miss Arundell.”
Then he turned sharply to Charles.
“Let me be quite clear on one point. Did Miss Arundell tell you she was about to alter her will, or did she tell you specifically that she had altered it?”
Charles said quickly:
“Oh, she was quite definite. As a matter of fact she showed me the will.”
Poirot leaned forward. His eyes opened wide.
“This is very important. You say that Miss Arundell actually showed you the will?”
Charles gave a sudden schoolboy wriggle—a rather disarming action. Poirot’s gravity made him quite uncomfortable.
“Yes,” he said. “She showed it to me.”
“You can swear definitely to that?”
“Of course I can.” Charles looked nervously at Poirot. “I don’t see what